Students and Chapel Hill residents camped out in the cold and rain to make sure they had a free ticket to the event. Others took a chance and still came out smiling Monday morning when they were able to simply walk up and get one.

Obama is visiting UNC and similar colleges in Colorado and Iowa as he woos young voters by taking about student loans and the rising cost of education. All three are in states Obama won in 2008, but are expected to be closely contested with likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

The president's last trip to North Carolina was in March. He visited a truck building factory near Charlotte.